THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Sseptember, 2026…
Whilst production takes place on over 743,000 decares of cultivated agricultural land in Istanbul, the province’s vast consumer market, combined with production planning and agricultural support, means that agricultural activities also contribute to the economy.
Suat Parıldar, Director of the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, stated in comments to an Anatolian Agency (AA) correspondent that Istanbul possesses significant agricultural production potential in addition to its historical and cultural characteristics.
Parıldar noted that six strategic crops – wheat, barley, sunflower, rapeseed, dried beans and chickpeas – as well as fodder crops are being assessed as part of the production planning across the province, emphasising that a yield increase is expected this year for a significant proportion of these crops compared to last year.
Parıldar pointed out that, despite Istanbul being one of the world’s largest metropolises, agricultural production continues to hold its place in the provincial economy, saying, “In Istanbul, where 14 percent of this vast metropolitan land area is agricultural land, farming is naturally taking place. And it is high-value farming at that.”
Parıldar, recalling that Istanbul also has coastlines on the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, said, “We have over 600 kilometres of coastline. Furthermore, in terms of fisheries and aquatic products—another branch of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry—as well as hunting, we have significant activities.”
Highlighting that there are over 743,000 decares of cultivated agricultural land in Istanbul province, Parıldar added, “Silivri, Çatalca, Arnavutköy, Şile, Beykoz, Pendik, Sarıyer and Büyükçekmece are among the districts where active agricultural activities are carried out.”
